Methods of evaluation
There are six pillars ofcustomer experience, each representing thebasic characteristics needed to create positive experiences: personalization, integrity, expectations, resolution, time and effort, and empathy.
And since customers perceive their experience asawhole, thepillars affect each other as well – so thebest brands are great at all six ofthem. For each pillar, themaximum score is 10 points.
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Personalization
Personalization has been with us ever since the good old “customer is always right” saying was first uttered. A personalized approach is indeed essential in building customer loyalty – because it makes each of them feel seen. Suddenly they aren’t just one of many in a faceless crowd. Instead, they feel like a valued partner, respected by the company. And these days, you can do better than just addressing them by name or sending a birthday gift voucher. Advanced data analytics are capable of recognizing individuals based on their behaviour, understanding their needs, and providing tailored services, offers, or solutions.
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Using enormous amounts of data on customer behaviour, AI can adjust offers and even prices as well as quickly browse through the goods and choose the best option for the customer. What does it mean in real life? AI can suggest a belt that perfectly matches the colour of the dress shoes in the customer’s cart. For brands, it means they don’t have to set up the “you might also like” sections by hand anymore, relying solely on categorization.
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Time and effort
Our brain is a pretty power-hungry device and often, it subconsciously pushes us towards the path of the least resistance. What does it mean? That customers are not ready to offer up their time and effort as an extra payment for a service or a product. Instead, they will choose a business that can satisfy their needs, like placing an order or handling a request, in a quick, hassle-free way. An option to do everything online, a system capable of recognizing the customer and safely storing their data for future transactions – that’s all expected now. In short, efficient processes are crucial to customer loyalty.
AI challenges and opportunities
Generative AI is the next logical step in speeding up your services. Customer hotlines are a great example, with virtual assistants now in charge of categorizing and even handling individual requests. However, it is crucial for a virtual assistant to recognize when to hand the issue over to a human. Because there is nothing more infuriating than trying to explain what it is that you need to a robot, followed by a not-so-short wait for the human operator – and having to explain it all again.
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Expectations
Marketing, reputation, previous experience with competing brands – all these aspects affect customer expectations. As a brand, you should aim for more than simply fulfilling those expectations and preventing disappointment. You should focus on setting the bar higher, and that’s where it gets tricky. Because promising something you can’t deliver is never good. On the other hand, however, if you manage to exceed customer expectations, chances are that they will remember this and recommend the brand to others.
AI challenges and opportunities
Customers expect that AI-based digital channels will handle their requests with the efficiency of offline channels, and they carry positive experiences from one sector into others in the form of expectations. These days, people are used to virtual assistants like Kate, Tom, and their “colleagues”, using them more and more often. When banks make their assistants even better, people will trust them and consider them reliable. And they will then expect the same quality and availability elsewhere too: from utility providers, retail brands, or in logistics. And if the other sectors fail to quickly react and offer comparable solutions, they can fall short in the expectations pillar.
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Integrity
Integrity means that you should practice what you preach. Keeping promises and sticking to your values are key in building customers’ trust, and in the digital world full of risks, this applies even more. A trustworthy brand will protect the privacy and security of their customers, always using their personal data in accordance with legislation and ethical standards; and to personalize their experience and save them some time and effort too, of course.
AI challenges and opportunities
No legislation governs the use and development of AI – for now. One more reason for companies to focus on having their own sound codes of ethics. Always letting customers know when an AI tool comes into play is a sound principle to stick to. Make sure you don’t undermine their trust (and aren’t in potential breach of the future AI Act). What’s next on the list? Striving to build flawless tools, because when customers can’t access their shopping history or have to repeat their request with the bot failing to understand it or acting unnatural, their trust is undermined, too.
As for opportunities – how about a neat summary of previous reviews to help your customers choose? Hearing about a product’s pros and cons is definitely more informative than just a number of stars. Companies could also download and display reviews from other (preferably independent) websites, making customer reviews even more credible.
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Resolution
When something does go wrong, every business should strive to find the most efficient solution and turn the customer’s negative experience into one that ultimately leaves them satisfied. Technology can help identify weak points and potential issues before they even happen. Imagine a bank’s website, with a customer lingering on the same screen or page for a while. This might be a good time to nudge them towards what they are probably looking for or refer them to your customer service chat before a problem does occur. Detection of scams aimed at clearing out customer bank accounts is another great example. Advanced online channels like chatbots and virtual assistants are available 24/7, able to resolve a large proportion of customer requests and turn a negative experience into a positive one thanks to their ability to respond immediately.
AI challenges and opportunities
Make sure your AI tools are advanced enough – because if not, they might actually need more time to resolve something or fail completely. That’s why you should always start with a simple question: is the chatbot or voicebot capable enough to deal with this request, or is it better to put a human on it right away?
Automated claim processing is a great way to improve your resolution score. AI systems can analyse a claim, decide what steps should follow, and give the customer an immediate response. And in case of repeated claims, AI can notify the business about a reoccurring issue and suggest a system-based solution.
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Empathy
Humanity and understanding are what make us more than just cells in a vast network. A brand that can empathize with customers’ needs, show understanding, and remind them that it’s still people behind the scenes will build lasting relationships. Technology knows all about us these days. It can talk to us and even react appropriately. But it cannot replace human warmth and sincere understanding. Finding that perfect balance between technology and human approach is a guaranteed path to an empathic, trusting relationship between a business and its customers.
AI challenges and opportunities
Replacing humans is not the goal of AI tools – quite the opposite, in fact. With smart AI tools capable of dealing with routine tasks and customer complaints, human employees are free to focus on empathy and tailored services.
One thing all brands looking to implement AI should start with? Asking customers about issues and situations they deal with regularly and only start building an AI solution when they have answers.
